diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a11dc9318
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+.*.swp
+
+# Compiled Object files, Static and Dynamic libs (Shared Objects)
+*.o
+*.a
+*.so
+
+# Folders
+bin
+pkg
+_obj
+_test
+
+# Architecture specific extensions/prefixes
+*.[568vq]
+[568vq].out
+
+*.cgo1.go
+*.cgo2.c
+_cgo_defun.c
+_cgo_gotypes.go
+_cgo_export.*
+
+_testmain.go
+
+*.exe
+*.test
+*.prof
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/api/input.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/api/input.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..34b355617
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/api/input.go
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+// Package api provides the types that are used to communicate with the roomserver.
+package api
+
+const (
+	// KindOutlier events fall outside the contiguous event graph.
+	// We do not have the state for these events.
+	// These events are state events used to authenticate other events.
+	// They can become part of the contiguous event graph via backfill.
+	KindOutlier = 1
+	// KindJoin events start a new contiguous event graph. The first event
+	// in the list must be a m.room.memeber event joining this server to
+	// the room. This must come with the state at the event.
+	KindJoin = 2
+	// KindNew events extend the contiguous graph going forwards.
+	// They usually don't need state, but may include state if the
+	// there was a new event that references an event that we don't
+	// have a copy of.
+	KindNew = 3
+	// KindBackfill events extend the contiguous graph going backwards.
+	// They always have state.
+	KindBackfill = 4
+)
+
+// InputRoomEvent is a matrix room event to add to the room server database.
+type InputRoomEvent struct {
+	// Whether these events are new, backfilled or outliers.
+	Kind int
+	// The event JSON for each event to add.
+	Event []byte
+	// Optional list of state events forming the state before this event.
+	// These state events must have already been persisted.
+	State []string
+}
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/input/consumer.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/input/consumer.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a4ed611e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/input/consumer.go
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+// Package input contains the code that writes
+package input
+
+import (
+	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/types"
+	sarama "gopkg.in/Shopify/sarama.v1"
+)
+
+// A ConsumerDatabase has the storage APIs needed by the consumer.
+type ConsumerDatabase interface {
+	// PartitionOffsets returns the offsets the consumer has reached for each partition.
+	PartitionOffsets(topic string) ([]types.PartitionOffset, error)
+	// SetPartitionOffset records where the consumer has reached for a partition.
+	SetPartitionOffset(topic string, partition int32, offset int64) error
+}
+
+// An ErrorHandler handles the errors encountered by the consumer.
+type ErrorHandler interface {
+	OnError(err error)
+}
+
+// A Consumer consumes a kafkaesque stream of room events.
+type Consumer struct {
+	// A kafkaesque stream consumer.
+	Consumer sarama.Consumer
+	// The database used to store the room events.
+	DB ConsumerDatabase
+	// The kafkaesque topic to consume room events from.
+	RoomEventTopic string
+	// The ErrorHandler for this consumer.
+	// If left as nil then the consumer will panic with that error.
+	ErrorHandler ErrorHandler
+}
+
+// Start starts the consumer consuming.
+func (c *Consumer) Start() error {
+	offsets := map[int32]int64{}
+
+	partitions, err := c.Consumer.Partitions(c.RoomEventTopic)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for _, partition := range partitions {
+		// Default all the offsets to the beginning of the stream.
+		offsets[partition] = sarama.OffsetOldest
+	}
+
+	storedOffsets, err := c.DB.PartitionOffsets(c.RoomEventTopic)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for _, offset := range storedOffsets {
+		// We've already processed events from this partition so advance the offset to where we got to.
+		offsets[offset.Partition] = offset.Offset
+	}
+
+	var partitionConsumers []sarama.PartitionConsumer
+	for partition, offset := range offsets {
+		pc, err := c.Consumer.ConsumePartition(c.RoomEventTopic, partition, offset)
+		if err != nil {
+			for _, pc := range partitionConsumers {
+				pc.Close()
+			}
+			return err
+		}
+		partitionConsumers = append(partitionConsumers, pc)
+	}
+	for _, pc := range partitionConsumers {
+		go c.consumePartition(pc)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// consumePartition consumes the room events for a single partition of the kafkaesque stream.
+func (c *Consumer) consumePartition(pc sarama.PartitionConsumer) {
+	for message := range pc.Messages() {
+		// Do stuff with message.
+		if err := c.DB.SetPartitionOffset(c.RoomEventTopic, message.Partition, message.Offset); err != nil {
+			c.handleError(message, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// handleError is a convenience method for handling errors.
+func (c *Consumer) handleError(message *sarama.ConsumerMessage, err error) {
+	if c.ErrorHandler == nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	c.ErrorHandler.OnError(err)
+}
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/roomserver/roomserver.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/roomserver/roomserver.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c37a24ffd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/roomserver/roomserver.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/input"
+	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/storage"
+	sarama "gopkg.in/Shopify/sarama.v1"
+	"os"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+var (
+	database       = os.Getenv("DATABASE")
+	kafkaURIs      = strings.Split(os.Getenv("KAFKA_URIS"), ",")
+	roomEventTopic = os.Getenv("TOPIC_ROOM_EVENT")
+)
+
+func main() {
+	db, err := storage.Open(database)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	kafkaConsumer, err := sarama.NewConsumer(kafkaURIs, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	consumer := input.Consumer{
+		Consumer:       kafkaConsumer,
+		DB:             db,
+		RoomEventTopic: roomEventTopic,
+	}
+
+	if err = consumer.Start(); err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	fmt.Println("Started roomserver")
+
+	select {}
+}
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/storage/sql.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/storage/sql.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6d28facbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/storage/sql.go
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+package storage
+
+import (
+	"database/sql"
+	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/types"
+)
+
+type stmts struct {
+	selectPartitionOffsetsStmt *sql.Stmt
+	upsertPartitionOffsetStmt  *sql.Stmt
+}
+
+func (s *stmts) prepare(db *sql.DB) error {
+	var err error
+
+	_, err = db.Exec(partitionOffsetsSchema)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if s.selectPartitionOffsetsStmt, err = db.Prepare(selectPartitionOffsetsSQL); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if s.upsertPartitionOffsetStmt, err = db.Prepare(upsertPartitionOffsetsSQL); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+const partitionOffsetsSchema = `
+-- The offsets that the server has processed up to.
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS partition_offsets (
+	-- The name of the topic.
+	topic TEXT NOT NULL,
+	-- The 32-bit partition ID
+	partition INTEGER NOT NULL,
+	-- The 64-bit offset.
+	partition_offset BIGINT NOT NULL,
+	CONSTRAINT topic_partition_unique UNIQUE (topic, partition)
+);
+`
+
+const selectPartitionOffsetsSQL = "" +
+	"SELECT partition, partition_offset FROM partition_offsets WHERE topic = $1"
+
+const upsertPartitionOffsetsSQL = "" +
+	"INSERT INTO partition_offsets (topic, partition, partition_offset) VALUES ($1, $2, $3)" +
+	" ON CONFLICT ON CONSTRAINT topic_partition_unique" +
+	" DO UPDATE SET partition_offset = $3"
+
+func (s *stmts) selectPartitionOffsets(topic string) ([]types.PartitionOffset, error) {
+	rows, err := s.selectPartitionOffsetsStmt.Query(topic)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer rows.Close()
+	var results []types.PartitionOffset
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var offset types.PartitionOffset
+		if err := rows.Scan(&offset.Partition, &offset.Offset); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+	return results, nil
+}
+
+func (s *stmts) upsertPartitionOffset(topic string, partition int32, offset int64) error {
+	_, err := s.upsertPartitionOffsetStmt.Exec(topic, partition, offset)
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/storage/storage.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/storage/storage.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cdf173bba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/storage/storage.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package storage
+
+import (
+	"database/sql"
+	// Import the postgres database driver.
+	_ "github.com/lib/pq"
+	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/types"
+)
+
+// A Database is used to store room events and stream offsets.
+type Database struct {
+	stmts stmts
+	db    *sql.DB
+}
+
+// Open a postgres database.
+func Open(dataSourceName string) (*Database, error) {
+	var d Database
+	var err error
+	if d.db, err = sql.Open("postgres", dataSourceName); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if err = d.stmts.prepare(d.db); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &d, nil
+}
+
+// PartitionOffsets implements input.ConsumerDatabase
+func (d *Database) PartitionOffsets(topic string) ([]types.PartitionOffset, error) {
+	return d.stmts.selectPartitionOffsets(topic)
+}
+
+// SetPartitionOffset implements input.ConsumerDatabase
+func (d *Database) SetPartitionOffset(topic string, partition int32, offset int64) error {
+	return d.stmts.upsertPartitionOffset(topic, partition, offset)
+}
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/types/types.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/types/types.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6ab4092a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/types/types.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// Package types provides the types that are used internally within the roomserver.
+package types
+
+// A PartitionOffset is the offset into a partition of the input log.
+type PartitionOffset struct {
+	// The ID of the partition.
+	Partition int32
+	// The offset into the partition.
+	Offset int64
+}
+
+// An InvalidInput is a problem that was encountered when processing input.
+type InvalidInput struct {
+	// The topic the input was read from.
+	Topic string
+	// The partition the input was read from.
+	Partition int32
+	// The offset in the partition the input was read from.
+	Offset int64
+	// The value that errored.
+	Value []byte
+	// The error itself
+	Error string
+}